Adamas 1687-7 (serial no. 477-92)

On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
Ovation made this guitar in 1978 specially for Nancy Wilson, who helped pioneer the cutting-edge electric-acoustic, composite-body design in her work with Heart. The instrument features a carbon-fiber-reinforced top with decorative wood inlays around its unusual shoulder sound holes, as well as a bowl-shaped fiberglass back meant to increase resonance and sound projection. Charles Kaman, the founder of Ovation, began his career as a helicopter engineer before building instruments from materials more commonly found in the aerospace industry.


Technical Description:


Flat top with sound holes on upper shoulders; carbon fiber and birch ply top, "Lyrachord" fiberglass bowl back and sides, reinforced black walnut neck and fingerboard; 25 1/4 in. scale; blue top with figured binding and leaf-shaped teak, maple, padauk, walnut, and amaranth inlays around sound holes; set neck with crescent inlays; headstock with floral carving at top; internal piezo transducer pickups with FET preamp, volume and tone controls; walnut bridge, gold-plated Schaller tuners, wooden knobs; dated 11/3/1978 and signed by CW Kaman II on soundhole label

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Adamas 1687-7 (serial no. 477-92)
  • Artist: Ovation Guitars
  • Artist: Nancy Wilson
  • Date: 1978
  • Medium: Carbon fiber, fiberglass, birch, black walnut, rosewood, teak, maple, padauk, amaranth, aluminum, steel, plastic
  • Dimensions: Length: 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm)
    Width: 15 3/4 in. (40 cm)
    Depth: 6 1/16 in. (15.4 cm)
    Weight: ~4-6 lbs
  • Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
  • Credit Line: Courtesy Nancy Wilson of Heart
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments